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Updated: May 14, 2026

A Method to Test the Efficacy of Handwashing for the Removal of Emerging Infectious Pathogens
Published on: June 7, 2017
Effectiveness of hand hygiene for removal of Clostridium difficile spores from hands
Sarah L Edmonds1, Carrie Zapka, Douglas Kasper
1Research and Development, GOJO Industries, Akron, Ohio, USA. edmondss@gojo.com
Abstract:
This study determined whether surrogate organisms can predict activity against Clostridium difficile spores and compared the efficacy of hand hygiene preparations against C. difficile. Our data suggest that surrogate organisms were not predictive of C. difficile spore removal. Four preparations were significantly more effective than tap water at removing C. difficile.
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